Photographic apparatus.



J. G, CALHOUN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJll, 1910.

Pater med Jan. 23, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH co., wAsmNu'roN, n. c

JOSEPH C. CALHOUN, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23,1912.

Application filed August 11, 1910. Serial No. 576,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH C. CALHOUN a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotographic Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to an improved photographic apparatus, and itsobject is to provide a device adapted to produce a white ground inphotographs and showing no seam or dividing line between the floor andbackground.

In photographing articles of merchandise, particularly furniture, it isdesirable to have the floor and background of the photograph appearwhite. This has heretofore been accomplished by manually stopping out orpainting over the background on the negative with some opaque material.This manual operation is tedious and expensive, and sometimes diflicult,on account of the character of the article to be shown in thephotograph.

My device is adapted to obviate this dithculty and consists essentiallyof a platform slightly raised from the floor of the atelier and coveredwith material that is white or of a highly actinic color, and at therear of this platform and opposite the camera, a background spaced apartfrom the platform and having a like highly actinic color, together witha narrow adjustable portion between the plat-form and background; andmeans for inclining the background more or less from the vertical tosecure the proper reflection of light therefrom, whereby I am enabled toproduce a background and floor of suficient uniformity and strength ofaction to produce a sufficient density in the negative to secure a whitebackground in the resultant photograph, and also to eliminate from thenegative any appearance of a difference in density of the floor andbackground, or any seam or line of junction between the fioor andbackground.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which represent a deviceembodying my invent-ion: Figure 1 is a perspective of the device; Fig. 2a portion of the same in side elevation; and, Fig. 3 a detail in planview with the background in horizontal section.

below the plane of the upper surface thereof and can be spaced aparttherefrom without exposing the lower edge of the background when viewedfrom the direction of the camera, which is shown at 9.

To secure equal reflection from the background and platform and to spacethe same apart whereby the light will reach the lower part of thebackground over the rear of the platform and thus eliminate any seam orline of union therebetween, I prefer to connect the platform andbackground by rods 3 pivoted to each at their respective ends. Thebackground is thus pivotally supported at the bottom and can be adjustedeither vertically or inclined as occasion requires to equalize the lightreflected therefrom with the light reflected from the platform 1. Thebackground is also preferably supported in adjusted position by means ofan adjustable brace 4E pivoted to the rear thereof. I also provide anadjustable portion 5 at the rear of the platform, hinged to the platformat the front side and vertically adjustable at the rear, whereby thisportion may be variously inclined or held horizontally by means ofsegments 6 attached thereto 'at one end, and adjustably attached to theplatform by thumb screws 7. The hinging of the portion 5 to the platformis preferably by means of the cloth or other covering material used onthe platform and port-ion 5. This adjustable portion can thus beadjust-ed to reflectthe light equally with the platform and backgroundand prevent any appearance of shadow or seam at this part, and alsooperated as a reflector to properly light up the lower part of thebackground as oocaslon may arlse.

By the use of this device, I am able to get a floor and background ofsutficient density in the negative and of uniform white without shadowsin the print, which heretofore has been accomplished only by manuallypainting out or stopping out these parts of the negative.

What I claim is:

1. A photographic apparatus comprising a rigid plat-form having a hingedand vertically adjustable rear portion, a background at the rear of saidadjustable portion and means for holding the background and the saidportion in various relatively adjusted positions.

2. A photographic apparatus, comprising a raised platform, a backgroundspaced apart therefrom, an adjustable rear portion hinged to theplatform at the front and Vertically adjustable at' the rear, and meansfor holding said rear portion in adjusted position.

3. A photographic apparatus comprising a raised platform, a portion atthe rear hinged to the platform at the front side and Verticallyadjustable at the rear, segments attached at one end to said portion andadjustably attached to the platform at the other end,

4. A photographic apparatus, comprising a raised platform, a backgroundspaced apart from the rear of the platform, a portion hinged at one sideto the rear of the platform, rods connecting the platform andbackground, a brace to adjustably support the background, segmentsattached to the said portion at one end, and thumb screws to adjustablyconnect the segments to the platform.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH C. CALHOUN. Witnesses:

L. PETRIE, HAROLD O. VAN ANTWERP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

